Organisation of the Church of England

1. The PARISH is the smallest unit having a vicar or rector
2. A RURAL DEANERY is an area consisting of a number (not usually more than 12) of parishes headed by a rural dean who is usually minister of one of its parishes.
3. An ARCHDEACONRY consists of a number of rural deaneries each in charge of an archdeacon.
4. A DIOCESE consists of several archdeaconries over which a bishop has authority.
5. A PROVINCE is a large area of several dioceses with the authority vested in an archbishop and until the Archbishopric of Wales was created in 1920 there were only two (Canterbury and York)